08 March 2016, 21:11
Rights defenders call on to take measures to prevent women's discrimination in the Caucasus
The countries of Southern Caucasus are among the regions where women's rights are routinely violated; and the reaction to these violations by the authorities leaves much to be desired. This conclusion is contained in the statements made by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC) and the International Human Rights Federation (FIDH) dedicated to March 8.
Insufficient measures taken by the state against the discrimination of women were exposed by the first ever international decision on the case of domestic violence in Georgia, says the report of the EHRAC.
The precedent was set by the publication on July 13, 2015, of recommendations UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, on the case "X and Y versus Georgia". The essence of the case, which the Committee had been considering since 2009, dealt with brutal violence, including physical and sexual ones, over a daughter and a mother. According to the Committee, the state had failed to prevent and investigate the abuse committed by the by the father and former husband of the women, as well as to punish the offender.
The International Women's Day on March 8 is a state holiday in the countries of Southern Caucasus – Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The gender-based discrimination, including coercion to early marriage and hampered access to education, is characteristic for entire regions of the planet, says the FIDH's statement.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
